Higher research degrees

As part of the mission to continually improve clinical
trials research, CTC identifies high-calibre people as PhD,
masters, honours or summer students to progress particular
research questions. These candidates contribute significantly
to the development of CTC research.

Why choose CTC?

CTC offers scholarships to eligible students

CTC is internationally recognised for its knowledge and
experience in clinical trials

Successful students graduate with a degree from the University
of Sydney

How to apply

All applications are to be submitted online using the links
below and are considered by the CTC research committee, which meets
throughout the year.

If you are interested in becoming a student at the CTC,
please first take the time to browse your areas of interest on this
website. A CTC academic will be happy to discuss opportunities with
you.

To enquire about a project please select the 'Enquire now'
button, upload a single file containing your cover letter and CV
(in PDF format) and CTC will contact you.

Please ensure that if you are seeking scholarship support you
select this option in your application and state this in your
application cover letter.

If you would like to enquire about more than one project, please
enquire to each project separately.

Projects available

Use the list below to view and enquire about current higher
degree opportunities at CTC.

Only one PDF file should be uploaded in your application
(please combine your cover letter and CV).

Patient preferences and willingness to pay for genomic informationAssociate Supervisor:Martin StocklerProject Summary:Background: It is not clear how people value genetic or genomic health information, and traditional economic evaluation may not capture the full benefit of this service. This PhD will examine patient and family preferences for receiving genomic information in three areas: diagnostics (eg. inherited conditions); treatment (eg. where genomic information may benefit only a small proportion of the population) and prevention (where genomic information may motivate healthy behaviours). Specialised methods to elicit preferences will include discrete choice experiments (DCEs). In collaboration with clinicians at the NHMRC clinical trials centre, this research topic will be applied to cancer and/or cardiovascular disease.

The suitable candidate will have a background in science, medicine, economics, or statistics including post-graduate training. Demonstrated quantitative research skills and an ability to publish high quality research are required.Expected length of project:4 years
Expected project start and finish:01/09/2016 - 31/08/2020
(read less)

The PREDICT T1D Study: Plasma RNA Evaluation for Diagnosis of Islet Cell death and progression to Type 1 DiabetesAssociate Supervisor:Mugdha JoglekarProject Summary:The PREDICT T1D study provides a unique opportunity to rigorously validate a microRNA and a cell-free (cf)DNA-based molecular signature of death of insulin-producing (beta) cells in diabetes. Such an assay for detection of beta cell death has far reaching applications in clinical medicine, as well as in much related research around the world. It will enable prediction of Type 1 Diabetes as well as monitoring of treatment response including islet transplantation, vaccines and disease-modifying drugs. In basic science, this assay could assist in the testing of experimental treatments to selectively block beta-cell death in diabetic models and to better understand the initial stages of diabetes in tissue culture and animal models. The study may also guide the development of new treatments to lessen the burden of diabetes. Expected length of project:3 years
Expected project start and finish:01/09/2016 - 31/08/2020
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Validating a molecular signature of Diabetic Retinopathy Through Genomic, Proteomic and Transcriptomic Profiling Associate Supervisor:Prof. Alicia Jenkins, Prof. Tony KeechProject Summary:The overall hypothesis of this study is that RNA molecules, which confer a high degree of specificity and sensitivity, can be efficiently detected in circulation and form a new class of biomarkers for clinical screening and diagnosis of diabetic retinopathy (DR). This study will confirm and validate novel RNA signature (mRNAs and microRNAs) that we have recently identified for blinding proliferative DR. Expected length of project:3 years
Expected project start and finish:01/09/2016 - 31/08/2020
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Epigenetic regulation of gene expression in the gut epitheliumAssociate Supervisor:Mugdha JoglekarProject Summary:Gut microbes are well-recognised as an environmental factor influencing an individual’s susceptibility to obesity and metabolic disease. Current data from a rat model of multi-generation under-nutrition and nutrient transition (Hardikar et al., Cell Metabolism - Cover Story August 2015), confirms that the gut microbiota composition of lean rats differs from obese rats; and that obese rats benefit metabolically after ingestion of lean rat faeces following coprophagic feeding behaviour (Satoor et al., 2014). This corroborates with previous reports suggesting associations between the gut microbiome and metabolic syndrome (diabetes and obesity). This project will involve understanding the regulation of gene expression by the gut microbiota using in vitro (cell culture) as well as in vivo (lab animal) and clinical (bariatric surgery) samples. Results will help understanding the underlying mechanisms leading to development of obesity and type 2 diabetes.Expected length of project:1 years
Expected project start and finish:01/09/2016 - 01/09/2017
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Thinking of doing a research degree with us?

"It has been a fantastic experience. The time spent at the
NHMRC Clinical Trials Centre gave me the opportunity to work with
world-class researchers and statisticians who helped me
tremendously with clinical research aspects. The infrastructure and
the support systems available at CTC were outstanding." Kushwin Rajamani, CTC PhD graduate